


Primae Noctis

by EzraTheBlue



Series: Destiny [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate take, Canon Divergence of my own Canon Divergence, Confessions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Mpreg, Secrets, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:40:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24814702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzraTheBlue/pseuds/EzraTheBlue
Summary: An alternate take on Chapter 8 of Defects & Destiny.Noctis has noticed something off about Prompto, and he just wants Prompto to talk to him. After all, what kind of best friend is he if Prompto can't trust him with his burdens?
Relationships: Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Series: Destiny [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562773
Comments: 11
Kudos: 56





	Primae Noctis

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a side story/alternate take to "Defects and Destiny," specifically part of chapter 8. You definitely need to have read the rest of the story in order, at least up through chapter 7, to understand what's going on here. 
> 
> Aequoria made a comment wondering what would have happened if Prompto had told Noctis first. (Primae Noctis means "first night," or in this instance, "First, Noctis.") That thought rattled around in my head, and this eventually popped out. Enjoy!

**Primae Noctis**

Prompto was his best friend, and Noctis thought he should know everything about him. It was so unfair that he didn’t.

Maybe that wasn’t fair. Noctis couldn’t talk about some things with anyone. But Noctis had always thought that Prompto was basically transparent with him. Prompto tended to babble every happy thought that crossed his mind. His sheer zeal for everything made Noctis so happy. He was a reminder that there were simpler things, happier things. However, Noctis knew there were things that made Prompto sad sometimes, a shadow would cross his face and his smile would flicker, and though Prompto might sometimes divulge a little, he tried not to burden him with his troubles.

Noctis actually wanted that burden. Carrying weight like that was the worst, and while Noctis was aware of his own troubles, heavy on his back and heart, he wanted to carry Prompto’s for him too. After all, Prompto was a distraction from his own pain, had been since they’d been friends, and Noctis wanted to be the person Prompto went to when he needed to unload his own troubles, if only for a little while. Prompto was good. Prompto shouldn’t have to suffer.

Hell, that was half the reason Noctis had accepted staying and taking quests around the chocobo ranch while they were searching for the car. Maybe they could have gone to Hammerhead, had Cindy pick them up, but they’d lost the car in Cleigne so it would probably show up in Cleigne. However, Noctis mostly wanted Prompto to spend time with the chocobos. Something had him acting off, smiling less and looking tired all the time. He kept up with the others, but he dragged by the end of the day, usually managing to clean his gun and play a little King’s Knight or a few card games, but then he’d be falling asleep in his chair. He kept throwing up every other day, too. Ignis had sent Prompto to a doctor, but Prompto had never talked about how that went. For his part, Noctis was pretty sure Prompto was on the edge of a nervous breakdown, and Six, he couldn’t blame him. He probably needed the rest, he hadn't been conditioned his whole life for stress like this.

Prompto had been enthusiastically curious about chocobos for as long as Noctis had known him. Noctis really, really wanted Prompto to spend some time with the birds and forget his worries for a while.

He’d been right. Now that they’d finally gotten the chocobos out of the barn and into their paddock, Prompto was happily hugging a big yellow bird like it was a mascot at a theme park, and the bird seemed just as happy at his embrace. Perfect. Everything Noctis could have asked for. 

Now, he just had to figure out how to make it better. 

Noctis liked chocobos enough, for what they were, but he wasn’t feeling hanging out in the sun with them. He was lounging against the wall of the barn, watching his friends with the chocobos in the shade. Without Titan roaring in his ear or thinking about the Deadeye wandering around, he could finally relax a little, too. 

It was as his mind wandered that he heard a distinctive chirping from inside the barn. He turned and peered in, and saw a smaller pen full of tiny yellow puffballs. He tiptoed closer, gawking at the baby chocobos as they hopped around, beady eyes bright and wet, down feathers fluffy and puffed up, waddling around as they pecked and scratched in the straw.

Noctis smiled to himself, then imagined what Prompto’s face would look like when he saw them. His friend's smile was something special.

Imagining it wasn’t enough. He needed to see it.

He flagged down Wiz and passed him a few gil for some of the greens for the babies, and settled himself in the pen with them. He leaned back and saw Prompto still hugging the chocobo like a security blanket, then whistled and waved to him. Prompto looked up, then trotted over, jaw falling open and face lighting up as he saw what Noctis had discovered. 

“A baby!!” Prompto bounced on his heels, starry-eyed as he gawked at the yellow chick that had settled in Noctis’ lap, as Noctis kept its attention on him with a fistful of greens. 

“I heard them peeping,” he told Prompto, then wiggled the greens a little further up his chest, luring the chocochick closer. “I thought it'd be a chick, so I had to look. They're so fluffy, I knew you had to see 'em.”

“Y-yeah.” Noctis glanced up at the wobble in Prompto’s voice, as Prompto carefully hopped the fence and got on his knees in the baby pen. Noctis had expected him to be much, much more excited, not sounding ready to cry. 

He dangled the greens closer to Prompto. “Here.” 

Prompto took the greens, and the baby chocobo waddled its way over to him and hopped for the greens with a little flutter, and Prompto’s expression exploded in a dazzling display of delight. 

“It’s the cutest thing ever!!” 

Suddenly, through his joy, Prompto was crying. Actual tears rolling down his face. Noctis’ jaw dropped - _no, no, don’t cry! Be happy!_ \- and he reached for Prompto. “Whoa, are you okay?”

Prompto didn’t notice his outstretched hand, too busy smearing his cheeks clean like he was erasing a blackboard, but the tears were still coming. “Y-yeah, dude, m'fine. Just, I can't remember the last time I was this happy.” He managed to push the last few tears away, then sucked in a big breath. He was still smiling, yes, but Noctis could see how raw his expression was. 

He tried to keep his cool, despite the worry heavy in his breast. He didn’t want to make Prompto talk, but he couldn’t stand by as Prompto fell apart when he wasn’t looking. “You sure? I've been worried. You've been quiet. It's weird.”

Prompto sucked his cheeks in for a moment, then made himself shrug. “Wh-what? Nah, man, I've been tired, but aren't we all tired?” He whuffed out air and looked up from petting the baby chocobo to fan himself with his hand. “Like, super wiped.”

“I guess, but I heard you upchucking again.” He studied Prompto as he spoke, still thinking of the noise he'd heard that morning, and way too many other mornings, Prompto retching and groaning in the caravan stall. Noctis hated that for Prompto. “You woke me up this time. I heard Gladio call you on it a few times, too.” Disgust crept into his voice, and he couldn’t help it: “It seems like you're sick every other day, dude. Didn't Specs send you to get checked out in Lestallum? You never told us what went down.” 

He saw Prompto lock up, _felt_ him stiffen. This was weird, Prompto didn’t _hide_ things like this, but here he was, keeping his eyes low and expression shuttered, speaking deliberately lightly like he knew he was about to say something that would let Noctis down. “Oh, yeah? I guess so. Guess it kind of got lost in the sauce, what with the Titan and then we got stranded, and now we're lost out here.”

Noctis’ heart sank. Of course. Prompto had just been coming back from the doctor when he’d collapsed, and everybody had forgotten. Ignis had been the one to insist he go, had he even asked Prompto about that? Had any of them? Damn it, what kind of friends were they? “That was more than three weeks ago, wasn't it?”

“Guess so.” Noctis saw Prompto’s throat work, and bit his lower lip. 

_Good job, your Highness._

He gathered his wits and lightly punched Prompto’s shoulder. “Then what did they say?”

Prompto hesitated, his gaze fixed to the baby chocobo cuddling his lap. Noctis saw his fingers curl into its soft feathers, seeking comfort. Six, it was bad and they’d all been ignoring it. And yet, when he spoke, he denied it: “That… it was nothing serious. Happens to a lot of people, actually.” He shrugged one shoulder. “It'd go away on its own, sooner or later. And… I know we can't wait for me to feel better.”

That didn’t sound real. Prompto was hiding something. Noctis knew that he had things he hid, but he had to, he couldn’t burden his friends any more than he already did, but Prompto deserved better than that. He shouldn’t _have_ to have secrets. Noctis didn’t want to be protected with lies. He’d had enough of that for one lifetime. 

“Come on, Prompto.” He slumped and sat back, folding his arms. “I would've waited for you. You just have to say something, tell me how to help you.” 

_Please tell me how to help you._

Prompto just wrinkled up his nose. “Dude. Saving the kingdom can’t wait for one loser like me.”

Not the answer Noctis wanted. 

“Would I be friends with a loser? Come on.” Noctis pushed Prompto’s arm again. “You’re my best friend. I’d do anything for you. If I can’t help the people I care about, what good am I as a King?” Prompto stiffened again, even stopping stroking the baby chocobo, lower lip wiggling. Noctis sighed and tried to draw down: “This disease that goes away on its own got a name?”

Prompto started shaking. Noctis hadn’t expected that. He sat forward and reached for Prompto, then grabbed his shoulder. “Prompto?”

“I-- I-- I don’t know.” His face split into a hysterical grin. “I haven’t picked any yet.”

Noctis frowned, his hand falling away. “Prompto? What does - what does that-”

“Gods, I can’t-” Prompto hugged the baby chocobo to his chest, too tight, the tiny thing squirming a little. “I’m s-sorry, Noct, I didn’t - I don’t - I didn’t mean to hide it, I just-”

“Prompto, just talk to me!” Noctis scooted across the pen and sat directly in front of him, as Prompto finally released the baby chocobo and threw his hands out.

“I’m pregnant!”

The revelation hit Noctis like a bomb, and his jaw dropped. Of all the things he could have said, that was the last one Noctis would have thought of. Prompto clapped his hands over his mouth and nose, rocking faintly as he cried a river into his fingers, and Noctis grabbed his shoulders.

“Prompto - that - how?”

“I’m a transman,” he squeaked, collapsing in on himself. “Gods, I should have told you-”

“It’s okay.” Noctis frowned to himself. “It’s okay, you - you are? Seriously?” How the hell had he never noticed? Maybe that was the point. Prompto was a guy, through and through. “Look, that’s okay. But you still have-”

“Yeah.”

“And you-”

“I’d never even had a period before,” Prompto sniffled, “but when we left Insomnia, and Insomnia fell, I cut my HRT to make it last, and I guess I had one, but-” He broke off, trembling. “Gods, I’m sorry, I didn’t know-”

“You had no way of knowing,” Noctis assured him, mind racing as he tried to recalculate the last three months. HRT - that was the medicine he needed, right? He remembered reading about that when a trans rights group sent him a letter - that explained how it had surprised Prompto if he'd been on it so long Noctis hadn't noticed. He realized he was missing part of the calculation: “Prompto, who? Do you know who the, uh, other father is?”

Prompto nodded furiously. “It’s - there’s only ever been - oh, _shit._ ” He sniffled and sobbed again, burying his whole face in his palms. “Gods, I never told you - you had just been told you were marrying Lunafreya when we got together and you were s-so mad, I didn’t want to- I didn’t- I thought you’d-”

“I won’t be mad, it’s okay!” He grabbed Prompto’s hands, despairing at his own selfishness. How had he not noticed?! It didn't even matter who it was, Prompto should have been able to confide in him! He didn’t care what the facts were, this was _Prompto_ for Shiva’s sake, Prompto was good and Noctis would forgive any mistake he’d made. He just needed to know. “Just tell me. Talk to me. Won’t be mad. Promise.”

“Iggy,” Prompto squeaked. “We… we’ve been together since then, since your birthday.”

“Specs?!” Noctis gaped, then shook it off even as he screamed on the inside. Prompto and Ignis were a couple?! They’d been secretly seeing each other for _two years?!_ “You mean Specs is gonna be a dad?!”

There was a noise at the barn door, and Noctis whipped his head around to see Ignis leaning there, looking shell-shocked, glasses askew, like he’d just been rammed in the chest by a bulldozer. Prompto looked up and gasped softly.

“Iggy - I-”

“No, n-no. Do go on.” Ignis sounded weak as he straightened up. “I believe… Noct…” He turned his face to Noctis, still somewhere between in pain and horrified, yet expectant. “You were saying… something about…”

“You!” Noctis grabbed Prompto and hugged him tight. “You ever heard of condoms?!”

Ignis’ eyes somehow went wider. “I-”

“Noct,” Prompto mumbled into his chest, not resisting the hug but not quite sinking into it. “We… we usually do, but we ran out…”

“And you still did the do with him?!” Noctis turned his frustration and fury on Ignis. “Why didn’t you go to the clinic with him when he was checking up on your baby?!”

Ignis froze up, and he slowly looked to Prompto, not quite picking himself off the door, and faintly murmured, “Oh, so… I… I heard correctly… Are you… Prompto?”

Prompto shivered, then nodded sharply. “Th-thirteen weeks. Probably.”

Ignis hadn’t known, Noctis realized. Prompto hadn’t told him. 

“Thirteen weeks,” Ignis repeated weakly. “And - you found out at the clinic in Lestallum?”

“We were busy,” Prompto mumbled. "Nobody ever asked." Ignis slumped where he stood, deflating as his pride wilted, and Prompto slumped forward too. Noctis bit his lip and threw his arm tighter around his shoulder.

“We weren’t too busy for you. I’m sorry we made you feel this way.” He looked to Ignis and motioned urgently for him to come over. “C’mere, _Dad_.”

Ignis swallowed, but hurried over to the pen, hopping the fence and ignoring the straw clinging to his pants as he knelt in the chocobo pen beside Prompto. “I failed to ask, my love, I’m so sorry. I never meant to ignore you-”

“It’s fine, Iggy, it’s fine, really, I understand.” Prompto stayed huddled against Noctis, even as Ignis tentatively reached for him, itching as if he wanted to draw him in and embrace him but frightened of what would happen if he did. Noctis wasn’t sure he wanted to pass Prompto to him, either. Prompto was still sniffling. “Noct… Noct is… he’s more important… I understand-”

“Ignis,” Noctis hissed, burning at Prompto's words. “What kind of boyfriend are you?”

Ignis’ face washed with guilt, pale and scared and sad, like he'd been dunked into cold water. “Darling, he’s not more important than you. Noctis is a dear friend and my prince, but you’re my beloved. If I had realized you needed me I would have been at your side in an instant. I’m so sorry I failed to notice.” He opened his arms, but faced Noctis. “I owe you an explanation.”

“You owe Prompto a lot more.” Noctis put his hand on Prompto’s back and gently pushed his shoulder towards Ignis. “You wanna talk to him?” Prompto shakily nodded. “You want me to hang around?” Prompto hesitated, then shook his head. Noctis understood. This had to be a conversation between the two of them. “I’m gonna let you two sit close. I’m just gonna be over here.” He unwrapped himself from Prompto as carefully as he could, then nudged Prompto over towards Ignis. “If you really don’t want me to listen, I’ll go a little further, but-” He shot Ignis what he hoped was a regal, authoritative glare - “We need to start making this up to Prompto, _now_.”

Prompto should never have had to carry his troubles alone. Especially this.

Noctis waited outside of the barn, but he kept one eye around the corner and listened closely. Ignis had settled himself beside Prompto, obviously shaken but shoring up his own defenses if only so Prompto could duck behind them. 

“Iggy, I - I’m sorry, I - I was going to talk to you about it, but then Noct-”

“Oh, love, I wish you had. But it’s alright! It’s out in the open now. Darling, how-”

“I’m scared, I’m sorry, I’m scared - I cut my T, okay? I was scared I’d run out, and I couldn’t talk to anyone because everyone was so upset after Insomnia, and then I found out and - oh Six what if they’re dead? I kept g-getting hurt, but I’m still sick…”

“We can find out." Ignis turned on reassurance so easily that Noctis couldn't tell if he was faking it. Hopefully Prompto wouldn't be able to tell either. "The moment we get back to Lestallum, we’ll take you to a proper doctor and check on them.”

“Iggy,” Prompto whimpered, and Noctis clenched a fist. The moment Noctis had taken that burden from him, he was breaking from the strain of holding it together, _how could he have let this happen?_ “I… I wanted to tell you, I swear, there was just never a good time, and then I started getting scared of what you’d say when I asked if you wanted to k-keep them. I… I got attached. I t-talk to them, like they’re here and real and alive already. I c-can’t make you want them, I know, I-”

“Darling.” Ignis hushed Prompto with soft, careful little whispers, the same way Ignis used to comfort Noctis from his nightmares. “I didn't _want_ a child right now, no, I was not seeking that end, but if it's happened, I'll accept it as the miracle that it is.” Noctis squeezed his eyes shut - maybe something good could come out of this disaster of a road trip.

“I’m, I’m doing my best for them, promise!" Prompto sounded desperate and hopeful, and so, so wanting. "I’ve g-got vitamins for ‘em, and-”

"Did you, now?" Ignis sounded reasonably proud of that. "I'm grateful you thought of that."

"And body armor! To, to protect them-"

"Brilliant idea, darling. I'm proud of you for doing what you could." Ignis still sounded devastated, but still wistful. “However, we’re going to do things a little more carefully now. I’m going to take care of you.” Noctis dared to peek around the corner at the two of them, and saw them slotted up against each other, Prompto halfway into Ignis’ lap with his head tucked under Ignis’ chin, and Ignis wrapping one arm around his shoulder and the other around his back, their chests turned together.

 _Oh_ , Noctis realized, _they really fit._

“It’s going to be alright,” Ignis told him, and Prompto’s eyes slipped shut, relief seeping through him. “I’m here now, and nothing will change that.” He wound his hand into Prompto’s hair as Prompto turned his face into Ignis’ neck. 

"Thank you, thank you - I, I love you." Prompto's expression sagged with relief, and Noctis' heart finally sank out of his throat as Prompto managed a smile. 

Noctis felt a wash of relief and slumped against the side of the barn. He was grateful beyond words that Prompto had confided in him, especially something he’d been so afraid to say. Nothing Prompto could ever tell him would change how much Prompto mattered to him. He only wished he’d known sooner. He would have loved to have another few years of teasing Prompto over being in love with Ignis, a little more time of seeing his friend happy, and a few more weeks where he could have protected Prompto.

A few more weeks of knowing that his best friend was going to be a dad _holy shit Prompto was going to be a dad. Ignis was going to be a dad!_

“They’re going to be dads.” He smiled to himself and put his hand on his forehead. “I wonder… can they both be Dad? Or will one of ‘em have to be called something different?” He tried to imagine it for a moment - what would Iggy and Prompto’s kid look like? Probably cute, for sure. Freckles all over, chubby cheeks, snub little nose. Prompto's smile. Prompto's smile was something special, Noctis would love to have a little more of it.

They'd be really cute. Noctis was going to spoil them rotten. “I wonder if I can get them to call me Uncle.”

Not Highness. Not Majesty. Just Uncle Noct. 

There were going to be some adjustments to make. Prompto needed to stay out of trouble from here on out. (Noctis was going to bubble-wrap him, armor or no.) They were going to have to explain this to Gladio (and Noctis would make sure that he took it well). Noctis needed to save the world before that kid got here, because that was the sort of thing you do for your best friends when they’re having a kid. 

Hopefully Prompto would be able to trust Noctis with a little more of his trouble from here on. After something this momentous, so complicated yet truly so beautiful despite the tangles, how could anything else darkening Prompto’s path compare? Whatever happened next, Noctis would carry the load for him, like he would for any of them. He would be the first to volunteer. Noctis was happy to take that burden off of Prompto, because it was worth everything just to have him at his side.


End file.
